The Necessity of Silence
by nikkirose4027
Summary: How Castle and Beckett reacted to the gun shots in the helicopter hangar, and how they coped with the immediate aftermath. Spoilers for season 3 finale. First Castle fic.
1. The Necessity of Silence

**Summary: How Castle and Beckett reacted to the gun shots in the helicopter hangar, and how they coped with the immediate aftermath. Spoilers for season 3 finale.**

**DISCLAIMER: I do NOT own Castle, which saddens me.**

**The Necessity Of Silence**

"I forgive you. I forgive you." Kate Beckett pleaded with her captain, Roy Montgomery. Although what he did might have caused her mother's murder, she could not allow him to die instead of her.

A tear escaped from Roy's eye. With difficulty, he stated, "This is my spot, Kate. This is where I stand." Kate shook her head as her eyes filled with tears as well.

"No… No!"

Montgomery and Castle both saw the SUV approaching the hangar. "Castle…" Roy started.

"No! No, sir! Please listen to me; you don't have to do this!" Kate begged, emotion flooding her words. The car grew even closer.

Roy turned and yelled, "Castle! Get her out of here, NOW!"

"You don't have to do this sir-"Kate was cut off as Castle's arms wrapped around her waist and began to pull her away. As Beckett started to struggle against hi, Castle picked her up off the ground and carried her to the back of the hangar.

"NO! GOD, CASTLE! LET ME GO! PLEASE!"

Castle gritted his teeth and bore through it. This was to save her life; this was to keep her from certain death. It made the blows of her heels to his shins seem bearable and practically painless.

Kate sobbed and wailed as Castle kicked open the back door and started towards the car. The detective seemed to be getting delirious. Her racking sobs sent painful stabs into Rick Castle's heart. He hated to see her cry, especially when she was in pain. True heartbreak.

"Rick, please." The sobs were too much for Rick to handle, and he set her down on her feet. But, they still had a walk to the car, and Castle kept a tight grip on her.

But she was losing grip of herself. Unintelligible moans of despair escaped Kate's lips. Rick thought that she might be getting too loud. Lockwood and possibly others could probably hear her. Quietly, he began shushing her. By then they had reached the car.

The shushing had no effect on the detective, so Castle was forced to place his hand over her mouth.

"Kate… shhh… please." Castle pleaded. He was keeping her against the car with his body.

Despite the horrifying circumstance, the closeness of Castle began to soothe Kate, even if it was just a little. Their eyes met, hers full of tears, his filled with fear. Kate used her other hand to touch his warm cheek. She loved him, so much. Her mind raced, thinking about what might be happening at this moment in the hangar. Castle moved his hand from her mouth, trusting her to have calmed down. Kate whimpered weakly, and the tears started to flow again.

Rick soothed her like a child, wiping away her tears with his left hand, and holding her cheek with his right. When the tears had vanished, he moved his left hand behind her neck to support the back of her head. Kate linked her hands behind his neck. The hair there was the softest.

They stayed in that position for what seemed like an eternity, but was really only less than a minute. There were no words between them, just the silent messages in their eyes.

Kate was still on alert, and was beginning to worry again about Roy. She kept her ears open for any sounds of struggle or a gun shot. With her heightened sense of anxiety, she began to hyperventilate.

As if on cue, five shots rang out into the night.

Kate's eyes widened in horror, Rick's in anxiety. He had to keep her away, and to keep her quiet. He had a quick solution to that.

As Kate opened her mouth to scream, Castle crushed his lips onto hers. The detective's screams of anguish were now silenced and stopped. She tried to pull away, but Castle kept her mouth locked on his.

Eventually, Kate's defense fell as she eased halfway into the kiss. This caught Castle off guard, who was expecting to fight her until she would be silent, who was expecting her to reject him completely.

A sudden rush of emotion had them both clawing at each other, the kiss becoming demanding and passionate. The situation had been a powder-keg, which just received a spark.

When Kate broke for air, she was seeing stars. She was so disoriented that the next three shots seemed distant and far off. She buried her head in the crook of Rick's neck. He simply pulled her closer, knowing this closeness would keep her sane, for now.

Finally, as the post-kiss high was wearing off, the shots registered in the detective's brain. Was it Roy's or Lockwood's gun? Beckett coolly unlatched herself from Castle's grasp. The situation hit Kate like a freight train, that her captain might have been shot. As she started half-heartedly towards the hangar, the final shot was fired.

Castle did not stop her from running into the building, but followed close behind her.

Then Kate's resolve shattered yet again. The moment she opened the door, she saw the splay of lifeless bodies across the concrete.

"No!" She sobbed as she ran over to the body that mattered the most. Crying in grief, Beckett lightly touched the cheek of her loyal captain. She leaned her forehead down to touch his, her tears running down to his lifeless face.

Hiding his silent tears, Castle went back out the back door and pulled out his cell phone. The moment Esposito picked up, he did not let Castle talk.

"Yo, Castle! Have you heard from Beckett? We know who the third cop is, it's Montgomery. Where are you?" He managed to say in one breath.

Taking a deep breath, Rick said, "I… uh… I'm with Beckett. And Montgomery. Esposito, he's dead. He brought Kate out here to lure Lockwood. They… killed each other." The salty tears continued to trickle from his crystal blue eyes.

The line was silent for a full minute. A strangled voice, that sounded a lot like Ryan, asked. "Where are you guys?"

"The helicopter hangar."

And the call ended.

Castle could still hear the cries of Beckett in the building. He slowly opened the door and walked over to the love of his life crouching over the body of her mentor. Beckett was so lost in her thoughts that she barely felt the hand rubbing her back. An inner sense knew it was Rick.

"I'm so sorry, Kate." said the choking voice behind her. He sounded like he was in pain.

Kate quickly turned around to face the writer. "Why are you sorry?" Her voice was surprisingly calm.

And for one of the few times in Castle's life, he lost it. Endless sobs racked him senseless as he leaned against the bullet-ridden helicopter. With a broken cry, he exclaimed, "This is all my fault!"

The sight of the man she loved losing himself in front of her whipped her into action. She stood up and quickly ran to embrace him. He clung to her like she had done maybe minutes before.

"Hey, hey! Shhh… it's okay. What do you mean, this is your fault?"

Not looking into her eyes, Rick whispered. "If only… If only I hadn't shadowed you, opened your mother's case… this all wouldn't have happened!"

Kate looked at him incredulously. "No, no, no! Castle. Castle, look at me." He slowly turned his head to stare at her. Kate gathered herself together, and stated.

"None of this is your fault. Castle, Raglin would have found me anyway. Hal Lockwood would have tracked me down anyway. It is thanks to you that I am even alive, Rick. Please understand that you…" her eyes turned misty again. "…You are the best thing that has ever happened to me. This could never be your fault."

Rick pulled her into a tight embrace. It seemed like they could not get close enough to each other. They held one another until they saw and heard the blue and whites pulling up to the helicopter hangar.

Castle began to loosen his grip on the detective as Ryan and Esposito ran up to them. But before they did, they saw Roy Montgomery on the ground.

"Oh, God!" Esposito immediately broke down crying and shaking.

"Captain…" Kevin Ryan whispered, eyes watering. The sight was too much for them to take.

Castle and Beckett, still entangled in each other's arms, took the two shocked men into their embrace. The family stood there silently, mourning their mentor and their dear friend.

Not able to deal with the ME or the crime scene unit, Esposito and Ryan immediately left to go home.

Kate and Rick had to stay; they had to answer the routine crime scene questions. The assigned detectives tried their best to be sympathetic, but the two of them were broken on the inside. Every question seemed too personal, so they refused to answer with tears in their eyes. Finally, after the ordeal, they were given permission to leave the crime scene.

On the way to Castle's car, he pulled her to his side. He whispered softly in her ear. "Do you want to stay with me tonight?"

Sniffling and sighing, Beckett nodded. Josh was not in the country, and she did not want to go home to an empty house at a time like this.

Rick stopped them halfway to the car, and faced Kate suddenly. She gave him an inquisitive look. He simply leaned down and pressed a gentle kiss on her lips.

Kate gripped his arms, and poured out her love for him in her response. They broke apart reluctantly, and slowly continued to the car.

Once on their way to Castle's apartment, Castle reached over to grab her hand on her lap. She took his hand and interlaced their fingers.

It had been a long night, and they deserved peace. At least for now.

**TBC?**

**It's up to you, readers, if you want it to continue. I at least wanted to post this chapter for the fun of it. Believe me, I can write more. Please review and give me your feedback. Thank you very much!**


	2. Stay With Me

**Thank you, guys! I got over 30 story alerts! I really did not expect that response. Well, I am keeping my promise, I am writing more, even though it took me FOREVER to update, which I am truly sorry. And I know some of you wanted me to do the funeral/post-funeral part, but I have to do this part first. It might be a little OOC, but I think it explains the look Beckett gave Castle during the funeral. 3**

**Enjoy! And remember that I own nothing.**

**STAY WITH ME**

Castle unlocked the door to his apartment and both he and Kate stepped inside. Martha and Alexis, it appeared, had already gone to bed. The only light came from the lights of the adjacent building.

"Do you want anything to eat?" Rick asked quietly, flipping the light switch. Kate shook her head.

"No, I'm good. I just want to sleep." She responded. Rick nodded in understanding.

"Ok, so can take my room, Kate. I can take the couch." Castle stood behind Beckett and helped her with her coat. His cold hands against the back of her neck sent shivers down Kate's spine.

When the shiver passed, Beckett turned back to face him with a weird look. "Don't you have like thousands of guest rooms?"

Rick's crinkly smile sent a warm feeling into Beckett."No, Beckett. Only one at the moment, and it is in remodeling and alas, has no bed in it."

Kate felt terrible for Rick having to sleep on the couch, but he continued to refuse to let her sleep there. She waited in the living room while he changed into sweats in his room.

All Rick could think about was how he so wanted to sleep _next_ to Kate tonight. He knew nightmares were inevitable tonight, probably for both of them. He just wanted to hold her. But he knew she probably wasn't ready. Not yet.

He exited his room and walked over to the living room, where Beckett was. As he walked over to the couch Rick said, "I…uh… set out a pair of spare pajamas on the bed if you want them." Kate couldn't understand why that statement suddenly caused a blush to spread across her cheeks.

"Thank you, Castle." She hooked her hair behind her ear in nervousness.

He smiled warmly. "No problem. And if there is anything you need, I'll be right out here."

Kate nodded and walked over to his bedroom door. Before she opened it, she looked back at Castle, who was getting situated on the couch with a spare pillow and blanket.

"Good night, Rick."

Castle turned and captured her eyes with his. He threw off the blanket and walked over to Beckett. He pulled her into a quick hug, which she was ever so happy to return. His chest and arms were solid against her, like a protective wall. He made her feel so vulnerable, yet protected.

"Good night, Kate." He whispered, lightly kissing the top of her head. After a moment, they reluctantly pulled apart.

With a quick smile, Beckett went quietly into Castle's bedroom, stealing a glance back at him before closing the door. She saw the clothes on the bed and took them into the adjoining bathroom to change. Once in the bathroom, Kate took a long glance in the mirror.

She looked absolutely terrible. Her eyes were still puffy and red from crying, both in the hangar and for part of the way home when she lost it a couple times. _Mom,_ she thought, _what has become of me? I do not recognize myself. _The image of the captain lying across the ground flashed across her mind, and the tears reappeared in her eyes. Sniffling, she wiped the tear that had trickled down her cheek. How was she going to go past this? How would a wound like this heal?

Sighing deeply, Kate went through the motions of undressing and pulling on Castle's pajamas. Even though she knew, well, she hoped, that they were clean, they still had a lingering scent of Castle. It was not the same as being in his arms, but it was still comforting.

Beckett walked back into the bedroom. She still felt awkward about sleeping in Castle's bed, but she was extremely tired. She slid in under the covers, admiring the 800 thread count sheets. It was like sleeping in lotion compared to her sheets at her apartment.

The moment her head hit the pillow, Kate was out.

_Kate was standing in an alley. The noise of the New York traffic buzzed in the background. A hollow laugh resonated in her mind, and she turned quickly around to see who it was._

"_I told you that you couldn't hide from me." _

_The sullen skinny face of Hal Lockwood was inches from her own. He reached a hand out to run his fingers across her jaw. She tried to slap it away, but an unseen force held her still. She would not budge._

_Her heart was beating a mile a minute, and she began to shake with fear. _

"_N-no. You're dead, Lockwood. You… you can't hurt me."_

_At first she was certain, but the wicked smile that ran across his face smashed her certainty like a shattered mirror. A glimmer of light drew Kate's attention to Lockwood's hand. A knife was enclosed in his fingers, and it shimmered in the moonlight. _

"_Goodbye, Katherine." The murderer pulled back the knife, only to jab it into Kate's midsection. The pain was excruciating, and Beckett fell to the ground, screaming in agony. Hal walked off into the moonlight._

_Kate could almost feel the blood draining from her, and she reached down to try and put pressure on the wound. There was too much blood._

"_CAASTLE!" She screamed out into the night._

"Kate! Kate, wake up!" Castle sharply whispered, shaking her by her arms.

Beckett's eyes flew open. She was covered in a layer of cold sweat, and her heart was pounding in her ears. She was staring into the blue crystal eyes of Richard Castle, who was kneeling by the bed holding her arms with a gentle grip.

"Rick, help me!" She cried, releasing her arms from his grasp and clutching her stomach. Tears flowed down her cheeks as the image of Hal Lockwood clouded her mind.

He flew into action, and lifted the blankets to see what had happened. But, there was nothing there. "What is it, Kate?"

She looked down. It had been a nightmare. She was fine.

"N-nothing… I… uh… It was a dream. A nightmare." Even though she was terrified, Kate felt embarrassed having a nightmare. Like she was a child.

"Jeez… did I wake Alexis and Martha?" She whispered, blushing.

"No, I think they're still asleep. You weren't very loud, I was just still awake." He hadn't been able to sleep, in fear that nightmares would haunt him like they did to Kate. He didn't want to risk it, and when he heard her call his name, he had rushed right up.

She wiped the tears from her cheeks, sniffling and shivering. "Castle, I'm scared."

"I know, Kate." Rick moved her hand and placed his hand on her cheek. "I'm here."

Just that made a wave of relief run over Kate. Exhaling sharply, she grabbed Castle's hand and held it in hers. Her breathing had gone back to normal, and so had her heart rate. "Thank you, Castle." She whispered.

"Always." He responded, squeezing her hand. Slowly, he got up and headed to the door.

As he began to walk away, fear spread through Kate's veins. She needed him here.

As Rick was about to open the door, he felt Kate's arms embrace him from behind. "Rick, please don't leave me alone." Her weak voice almost brought him to tears. This was so not the Beckett he knew, but he knew why.

He turned around and held her close. The fear faded away in Kate. His arms were a fortress against the terrible uncertainty of the whole night. It had been him all the time. It had taken the death of her dear friend to bring her close to him. The rising and falling of his chest against her cheek was almost hypnotic against her fear.

"Please, stay with me, Rick."

Kate put her arms around his neck, while he pulled her closer. He would stay with her to the end of time. And she probably knew that already. He would do anything to keep her safe, even from herself.

"Of course, Kate. I'll stay."

Kate smiled into his chest, her mind at ease. But her eyes were having a hard time staying open, even while she was standing up. Beckett began to doze off, comfortable and safe in the writer's arms.

Rick noticed that her grip on him was slipping. Looking down at her falling asleep, he got a sudden idea. Before he could talk himself out of it, he picked her up bridal style, her arms still locked around his neck.

The sudden jolt of being off her feet woke Kate up instantly, and she gasped as Castle carried her in his arms. She instinctively wrapped her arms tighter around his neck, while he walked over to the bed.

"Was that really necessary, Castle?" She whispered, chuckling halfheartedly. But she had to admit, being in Castle's arms now was better than how it was early that night.

"You were falling asleep standing up, I had to do something." His voice was calm and reassuring. Castle set Kate down on the bed softly and walked over to the other side of his bed. He slid under the covers and adjusted himself comfortably. Kate did the same, and leaned over to turn off the bedside lamp he had apparently turned on earlier.

Rick wanted so much to hold her, but he did not move toward her. He settled on his back, and closed his eyes, content that Kate was safe right next to him.

"God, Castle. Why would I invite you to stay so you can be as far as possible from me? You pick now to be a gentleman?" An amused voice whispered in the dark.

Rick felt Kate move over to his side and lay against him. A sudden rush of love for her swept over him, and he chuckled to himself. "I don't know what you're talking about," He turned on his side and wrapped his arms around her. "I am _always_ a gentleman."

Kate smiled into the darkness and relaxed into his hold on her.

Neither of them spoke for a while, and neither of them fell asleep. Kate sighed in despair, suddenly.

Rick gripped tighter and said in concern, "What is it?"

"Just thinking about Roy. About how it's going to be when we go back to the precinct. How empty it will be." The realization of the situation was hitting her again.

Castle pressed his lips in a quick kiss to her forehead. "Hey, whatever we have to do, whatever will happen, we'll do it together. If us and Ryan and Esposito just stick together and help each other, everything will be…" He did not want to stay 'fine', "tolerable. It will be tolerable."

Kate curled into Castle, with her head flush against his muscular chest. He was solid and warm, a fortress. A true castle. She knew he would keep the nightmares away.

"Rick," She whispered.

"Yes, Kate?"

"Thank you, for the millionth time." She smiled into his chest, her eyes closing.

His chest rose slightly as he chuckled softly. "And for the millionth time, always."

Sleep captured them, but the nightmares did not.

**TBC**

**Alrighty. There you go. Sorry for the long wait, yet again. It just took me forever to get it right, and I'm still unsure if I did. But, please pretty please review, and criticize away! I believe I need it.**


	3. Good Morning, Detective

**Hey! I'm back! I know, I am a terrible updater. I seriously had to lock myself up in my room to get it done. Then I have this weird writing ritual where I have to write the beginning in long hand, because my mind hates starting with a Word doc. So that took forever. But at least it forces me to edit my stupid logic mistakes. **

**I apologize for the humor in this chapter. I tried to make this a strictly non humorous thing, because well, Roy is dead! But the humor came up in the conversations, and it was the only way to deal with an issue that needed dealing with. I apologize, again. Sorry…**

**Anyway, please enjoy reading this new chapter; it's a little longer than the others. And remember I still own nothing. Really. Not even the plot.**

_**Good Morning, Detective**_

The moment Castle woke up, and felt the body of Katherine Beckett lying next to him, he panicked. Did they-? No. They were still fully clothed. He let out a silent sigh of relief. They the events of yesterday flooded into his sleepy consciousness. The tragedy penetrated his brain, and images of Hal Lockwood… and Roy Montgomery shot dead were at the forefront of his mind.

Kate stirred, and the writer's attention went to the beautiful woman in his arms. She had her forehead pressed against his chest, her arms around his torso. He was sure that when she woke up, her arm was going to be asleep.

Anyone seeing her would know she's been through a tragedy. She looked completely peaceful when she slept.

Castle's gaze softened as he concentrated on her even breathing. It reminded him of the time he used to watch Alexis sleep when she was little, and for those special times when she was older. He thanked whoever was up there that he had woken up first, but also he was glad that she had had no more grueling nightmares throughout the whole night.

He did not know how she was going to react to _this_ when she woke up, but he bet she was not going to be as clingy and accepting as she was last night. Her breathing becoming almost like hypnosis, Rick fell back asleep with a smile on his lips.

_A little later…_

The first thing that registered in Beckett's mind when she had woken up was that she was a lot warmer than usual. It felt like she had wrapped her blanket so tight around her it was like a cocoon. Her sheets also felt softer than normal. She snuggled her head deeper into her pillow, but then realized she wasn't even laying her head on a pillow. At least, she didn't remember her pillow being so solid and firm and able to move up and down.

_Josh?_ She thought, automatically. Then she looked up to see the face she did not expect to see.

"Castle?" She whispered incredulously, as she was completely and utterly shocked for the moment. Then she remembered. Everything. The heartbreaking memories of the former night almost caused her to hold Rick tighter then she already was.

Not only did the death of her friend and mentor come to haunt her, but the nightmare, the terrifying and vivid nightmare was coming back in images. Her tension began to dissolve when she realized why castle was here. She remembered asking, no, begging, him to stay with her. And he certainly had, and the nightmares never returned.

The only thing she feared now was how to deal with_ this_ when Castle woke up. How do they go on from here? How would they see each other now? She felt a deep twinge of guilt, because she was, despite her love for Castle, currently dating a handsome doctor. Sleeping in another man's arms, no matter how innocent the sleep was, still felt like cheating to Kate.

She realized she would have to deal with her questions sooner than she thought as Rick stirred, and his eyelids fluttered to reveal his beautiful clear blue eyes.

The first two things Rick saw were the sparkling hazel eyes of Detective Kate Beckett. His gaze softened for the second time this morning as he realized he could stare into those eyes forever. Her expression, on the other hand, seemed to be a mix of a look of surprise and one of contentment.

Rick broke into a sleepy grin, and whispered, "Good morning, detective."

The blood rushed to Kate's cheeks. Now that was a good morning she could get used to.

She swallowed before answering lamely. "Hey."

At least she's not running away, Castle thought to himself.

Now they had reached the awkward moment. Both of them knew they had to separate, they were fully aware of the situation. Yet, neither one of them had the courage to loosen their hold on the other.

As usual, Beckett's phone ringing interrupted the moment.

Making the first move, Kate eased out of Rick's hold on her, reluctantly, and turned over to grab her phone off of the nightstand. Quickly seeing that it was Lanie calling, she picked it up.

"Beckett." She barely recognized her own voice.

"Hey, girl." Lanie's usual greeting had a noticeable depressed and emotional tone to it. "How you holding up?"

Kate paused, and collected her thoughts. "I'm hanging in there. I still am in shock, but not as much as I was last night." The blush was slowly creeping back on her face.

"Was Josh there when you got home?"

She knew the room was quiet enough that Castle could hear everything Lanie said. He simply stared at her, and shrugged. It said 'I won't be _too_ mad if you lie'.

"Actually," Rick's head poked up and Kate smiled nervously."I didn't go home last night."

"What? Where are you, at the precinct?" She could hear the disappointment and worry in her friend's voice. "Girl, Montgomery would not want you to continue on this way…"

"No, no! Lanie, slow down!" She paused, and then blurted out without second guessing herself. "I'm at Castle's."

The writer smiled and laughed silently at the pregnant pause over the receiver.

"…Oh? And what are you doing over there?" The implied tone in her voice sent Kate into a denying frenzy.

"Don't worry Lanie, absolutely nothing happened." She said quickly, perhaps too quickly.

"Uh-huh. And why don't I believe you?" Lanie backfired. This conversation was rapidly growing more awkward then intended. Beckett flashed a look of panic toward Castle. At first he was smiling like a kid caught with his hand in the cookie jar, but she glared at him and slapped his arm. Pouting, he nodded and took her phone.

"No, Lanie. Nothing happened." He assured in as serious a tone he could muster.

"Humph." Lanie seemed slightly satisfied with Castle's answer. "Either way," She continued on a more serious note. "I'm glad you both seem to be feeling better. Javi was a completely wreck when he came over late last night." She recalled solemnly.

"Yeah…" Kate responded half-heartedly.

She realized there was so much more to be done. Montgomery's funeral to plan, for one. Just the thought of it sent a shiver down her spine. She looked swiftly at the clock, which read 9:55. They had slept in pretty late.

She continued and asked. "Lanie? Can you tell Esposito to be at the precinct at eleven thirty or so? We have to get together and discuss…things." She still could not bring herself to say it out loud.

"Sure, Kate. I'll tell him."

"Thanks. Bye, Lanie."

"Bye, Kate. Oh, and Castle." They could hear the smile in her voice again.

Loose grins grew on both Kate and Rick's faces.

"See ya, Lanie." Castle called out.

Beckett hung up the phone, noticing she had a couple of text messages from before they woke up. But she put the phone down and didn't check them. Now she was all business. Kate knew what she had to do in the next hour or so.

Castle leaned back on the pillow with a sigh. When he closed his eyes, relaxing, Beckett shook his arm. "Nope. You're not going back to bed. I have to go to the precinct and I don't have my car here. You need to drive me to my apartment."

Rick would have pouted, except her tone of voice was extremely serious. He sat up and nodded. "Ok."

As Kate got up out of the sheets, she grabbed her clothes from yesterday and started toward the bathroom.

Behind her she heard Castle ask, "Are you going to shower?"

The question seemed so nonchalant and blasé that it almost broke her resolve and she stopped for a second. As she fought against the blush, she responded softly.

"No… I'll shower at my apartment. I just need to get dressed and freshen up real quick." She quickly went into the bathroom and closed the door.

Like she had done the night before, Beckett stared at her reflection in the mirror over the sink. She definitely looked better than she did last night. She looked well-rested.

Kate could still not get over the fact that she had slept with Castle, well, slept cuddled next to Castle. Even though they had not discussed it yet, she knew he would eventually bring it up. This complicated the situation even further, not to mention the multiple kisses they had shared the previous night. She sighed in frustration.

Rick proceeded to dress in record time. He did not know how long she was going to take to dress, and didn't want to add anything more embarrassing like being half dressed in front of her.

So she was going to pull the 'I don't want to talk about it' card after all that happened last night. Rick chuckled softly. _I should have seen that coming._ He knew he wanted to discuss everything that happened last night, but he also knew that if he asked Beckett right now, she would snap something she probably did not mean. Rick resolved to finally ask her to talk after the 'discussion' they were going to have with Ryan and Esposito later. Maybe by then she will have calmed down enough from the embarrassment of the morning.

Ten minutes later, Kate exited the bathroom. She noticed that Castle was no longer in the bedroom. After standing confused for a few seconds, she heard a faint clatter in the kitchen, and made her way out the door and down the stairs.

She saw Rick, fully dressed, watching the coffee pot. The smell of the unique French roast he used filled Kate's nose, and she smiled. Coffee sounded great, but she was in a hurry.

"Castle, you're gonna have to wait to have coffee."

The writer looked behind him to see Beckett, holding her coat and waiting for him. He whined softly, and left the coffee pot to go get his coat.

After he had gotten on his coat, Rick took Kate's from her arm unexpectedly and held it out for her to put on. The detective smiled and stepped into her coat. She loved how he could be such a gentleman at times. It continued when he opened the front door for her and when he let her enter the elevator first.

The ride down was silent and uncomfortable. Both of them wanted to start a conversation, but couldn't think of anything to say. Not without bringing up subjects that were destined to be discussed later.

The car ride over to Kate's apartment was just as quiet. A couple of times, Rick stole a glance at his partner, who kept her eyes forward. He saw her hands lying aimlessly on her lap, and ached to reach over and hold them. Then he watched as her right hand reached up to unconsciously play with her mother's ring on the chain around her neck.

He sighed suddenly, and it caused Kate to look over at him. She cocked her head and gave him a look, but she didn't ask what was wrong. She knew what was the matter, or she thought she might have an idea.

After what seemed like half an hour of silence, they pulled up to the front of Kate's building. She noticed her car parked out in front. She stared bewildered. One of the other detectives from the scene last night must have towed it to her building for her. Trying to avoid too much contact, Kate quickly got out of the car. But, she stood against the car and looked down at Rick.

"Thank you, Castle." She tried to make it sound sincere, but it came out sounding almost distracted.

Castle looked at her, and smiled painfully. "You're welcome, Kate."

It almost irked Kate that he had not responded with 'always'. She looked into his eyes. They did not have the sparkle like they had had this morning when they had woken in each other's arms. She tried to not care so much, but she felt guilty for shutting him out after he had helped her.

After standing there for a few more seconds, Beckett shut the car door, and turned and walked toward the door to her building. When she turned back hurriedly to look back at Rick's car, he was gone. Sighing, and cursing to herself, she entered the building and rode the elevator up to her apartment.

Walking up to her door, she noticed that it looked unlocked. Instinctively, she placed her hand on her gun and was on high alert. She didn't remember leaving it unlocked yesterday.

She checked the handle; it was unlocked. She slowly opened the door with her gun drawn.

"Whoa! Kate! Put it down! It's just me!"

Kate stared at the man standing in her living room, who currently had his hands in the air because of the gun in the room.

"Josh? What are you doing in here?"

**TBC**

**Yes, I know that was evil of me. But this chapter was long enough, and I didn't want to keep you waiting forever. Please, pretty please review, so I can know if I am doing something right or… something completely stupid. XD Thank you for reading!**


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